THERE are 1,876 more patients being prescribed medication in the Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care board area than there were in 2020. 

That is according to new figures from the NHS Open Prescribing service. 

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition which impacts many people across the UK. Adults and children with the condition may have difficulty concentrating, act impulsively and appear restless.

Figures from the NHS Open Prescribing service show 5,694 patients received ADHD medication in the ICB area in the three months to June.

This was a rise from 4,919 patients during the same period last year and from 3,818 in the spring of 2020.

These figures cover how many patients with an NHS number picked up a prescription during that time frame – accounting for 92 per cent of prescriptions received in the area. In 2020 this also covered 92 per cent of prescriptions.

The ADHD Foundation said just over 200,000 (10 per cent) of an estimated 2 million UK citizens with the condition are receiving medication.

Dr Jim Hacking, GP clinical lead for mental health at NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board said: “We are aware of the increase in prescriptions for ADHD medications. This is part of a national picture that all areas of the country are seeing where more adults and children are being diagnosed and prescribed medications for ADHD. This is believed to be due to an increase in awareness of this condition. Due to this increase, we are further developing our services for adults and children both with our main NHS providers and Third Sector providers to offer robust diagnostic pathways and both psycho-social support and medication options.”

Tony Lloyd, CEO of the charity, said ADHD has been significantly underdiagnosed – particularly among women. He attributes the increase in prescribing to "rebalancing" this underdiagnosis.

However, he added: "Medication should not be used in isolation and should form part of a range of strategies and lifestyle choices to manage ADHD successfully."

In September, the NHS issued a national patient safety alert about a shortage of certain drugs used to treat the condition.

These include some formats of the most prescribed drug for ADHD – methylphenidate hydrochloride – alongside all lisdexamfetamine and guanfacine medication. The NHS has previous said there is also a shortage of some types of atomoxetine.

In Lancashire and South Cumbria, 5,198 patients were prescribed one of these drugs in some form in the three months to June.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We are aware of supply issues affecting medicines used for the management of ADHD due to increased global demand, and we have issued communications to the NHS to advise healthcare professionals on management of patients during this time.

"We continue to work closely with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible and to ensure patients have continuous access to ADHD medicines in the UK."